Motion controllers are special-purpose computers utilized for controlling motors, drives, and other aspects of a mechatronic system. In general, designing a system with drive technology, or mechatronic chains (e.g., combination of software/mechanical/control systems), can become a challenging task due to various dynamic parameters that continuously change in motion systems associated therewith. Additional difficulties relate to unknown or poorly defined parameters such as compliance and/or backlash between the load; the motor impact interaction; expected performance and the like. Moreover, additional complexities arise from the inherent complicated relationship between load, mechanism, servo motor, feedback, servo drive, controller and gain settings
Typically, determining answers to such questions often requires building a prototype machine and conducting empirical tests to collect data, and determine the proper combinations of machinery and configuration parameters. Another limited solution involves employing general simulation software such as computer aided design (CAD) systems, when intended design fits within constraints of such simulation software systems. Even so, simulation tasks can prove to be a slow process burdened with various inefficiencies. For example, the CAD dynamics simulation typically employs a non-fixed time base model, whereas the simulation of a servo system is discrete (e.g. every 1 ms). Such can introduce further complexities when combining the makes it challenging to combine the two.
In general, to simulate such servo mechanical systems a substantially simultaneous operation is required for a computer aided design CAD system and an analysis engine, such as proprietary industrial software. For example, while the CAD system is running data is being inputted thereto, and subsequently results are sent to the analysis engine for analyzing the motions involved. The cycles of data exchange between the CAD system and the analysis repeat until desired simulation is obtained. Nonetheless, such incremental exchange of data between the CAD system and analysis system is cumbersome and fails to provide a rapid progression for various simulation scenarios of the system.